Review: Good Half Gone (Tarryn Fisher)

Good Half Gone
Author: Tarryn Fisher
Publication Date: March 19, 2024
Publisher: Graydon House
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Wives

Iris Walsh saw her twin sister, Piper, get kidnapped—so why does no one believe her?

Iris narrowly escaped her pretty, popular twin sister’s fate as a teen: kidnapped, trafficked and long gone before the cops agreed to investigate. With no evidence to go on but a few scattered memories, the case quickly goes cold.

Now an adult, Iris wants one thing—proof. And if the police still won’t help, she’ll just have to find it her own way; by interning at the isolated Shoal Island Hospital for the criminally insane, where secrets lurk in the shadows and are kept under lock and key. But Iris soon realizes that something even more sinister is simmering beneath the surface of the Shoal, and that the patients aren’t the only ones being observed…


Tarryn Fisher is one of my must-read authors. I’ve read all of her books, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Good Half Gone. That was before I even read the blurb, then I was even more excited. I hate to say it, but I might have overhyped the book to myself. While I liked it, I didn’t love it as much as I expected.

Good Half Gone starts out explosively with the day Iris’s twin sister Piper is abducted. Those first few chapters really drew me in and hooked me. After that, the suspense dried up for a bit and the pace slowed down. I felt like I was being told rather than shown at some points. I also found myself confused at times. I had a hard time connecting what was happening in the past to the present. It makes more sense now that I’m done reading, but it took a while to feel a connection between teenage Iris and 20-something Iris because of how each timeline jumped around. Which was weird because both timelines were interesting in their own ways. One thing that didn’t help was the amount of attention placed on unimportant details. A lot of information was given that sometimes mattered, but most times didn’t. That was probably meant to make it harder to figure out what was coming, but it just bogged things down a bit and didn’t keep me from guessing some of the twists. The Shoal Island Hospital stuff was both creepy and intriguing. I could picture the island and its terrain, the uncomfortable weather on the ferry, and the buildings and their inhabitants. The intensity picked back up at about seventy-five percent in when all unbelievable craziness broke lose. It might not have been believable, but it was a lot of fun to read.

So, yeah. I had mixed feelings about this book. This was a hard review to write because it was hard to figure out what did and didn’t work for me. There’s no doubt Tarryn Fisher knows how to create a twisted tale with a whole lot of atmosphere, but this story needed something in the middle. I don’t know if that’s narrowing down the information that is given or making Iris a little easier to connect to. If you are good at suspending disbelief in the end, you might like this thriller set in the darker, grittier side of the Pacific Northwest.

Review: Hit Me With Your Best Shot Anthology

Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Authors: Saffron A. Kent, Becca Steele, S.J. Sylvis, Maggie Rawdon, Ki Stephens, Jay McLean
Publication Date: March 15, 2024
Publisher: Purple Prose Press LLC
Genre: Sports Romance, Contemporary Romance, Anthology
Note: This review is for an ARC provided by WordSmith Publicity and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

All new sports romance stories from six bestselling authors!

They may be players on the field and rule over a million hearts. But watch them lose theirs in the all-new angsty and steamy stories by six of your favorite sports romance authors.


Hit Me With Your Best Shot was a fun sports romance anthology. I enjoyed the majority of the novellas and even found some new authors I want to read more from. Here are my mini reviews for each novella in this book.

Love Made Me Do It by Saffron A. Kent – ★ ★
This short story was about a nanny and her soccer star employer. The connection between Meadow and little Sophie was adorable. The chemistry between Meadow and Riot was there. Where this one lost me was Riot losing his mind over Meadow when she’s on a date with another man. His actions and words from that point on were disappointing and left me feeling slighting disturbed.

Tempted by Becca Steele – ★ ★ ★ ★
Bennett and Niccolò’s chemistry was off the charts and their romance was sweet. I loved how different these two characters were while also being perfect for each other. If only it was a full-length book to give me more of everything.

Sidelined by Ki Stephens – ★ ★ ★
Callum and Lila are childhood best friends who have had a thing for each other since they were kids, but that was messed up by a kiss that almost but didn’t happen. They are finally getting their second chance and it is sweet. My issue with this novella were the flashbacks. They didn’t work because they took away time from the romance that was happening in the present time, which there isn’t much of because of the length of a novella.

In the Company of Darkness by Jay McLean – ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Jay McLean, I’ve missed your writing! Harlow and Jace’s story captured my attention from the start and never let go. I felt for these high school seniors and the hands they had been dealt. I loved how they started to bond and fall for each other. I cannot wait to read their full-length book coming later this year!

Call Me Teach by S.J. Sylvis – ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
This steamy little brother’s best friend/roommate/teammate college hockey romance was a lot of fun! Hannah was a sweetheart while Nolan was a bit of a jerk, but I loved how he embraced his feelings for her. I could have read a full-length book about this couple. I’m excited to try more from this author.

Onside Recovery by Maggie Rawdon – ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Gabe and Aurora’s romance was another winner for me. I love that they had been best friends from college and were finally getting their chance at love. Aurora was a two-time runaway bride. Gabe was a single father who played football and owned a bar. The really should have gotten together earlier in life because their chemistry was fire. I can’t wait to try more from this author.

Review: Ashes of You (Catherine Cowles)

Ashes of You
Series: Lost & Found, #5
Author: Catherine Cowles

Publication Date: February 8, 2024
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Synopsis:

Five years ago, I nearly lost everything. But there was a glimmer of hope on that darkest night. There was him—a stranger I could never forget.

Now, I’m finally getting the fresh start I’ve longed for. But when I show up to interview for a nanny position in the small mountain town, the single dad has startlingly familiar blue eyes.

Eyes that have haunted my dreams for the past five years.

Lawson Hartley is everything I know I can’t have. Older, handsome, and my boss. Not to mention the shadows in his eyes that tell me he has demons, too.

Still, he seems to understand me better than anyone I’ve ever met. So gentle and careful of my scars, yet somehow making me believe I’m stronger than I ever thought possible.

And when his lips touch mine, I’m lost.

We find what we’ve been missing in each other. But the terrors of my past aren’t done with me yet, and this time, Lawson might not be able to save me…


If you are a fan of Catherine Cowles’s previous romantic suspense novels, you will enjoy Ashes of You. It is very similar to her other books and was exactly what I have come to expect from Cowles. It had:

  • a woman recovering from a traumatic experience/situation
  • moving to a small town to heal in the beauty of the mountains and nature
  • she falls for a man who is one of many siblings of a big, supportive family
  • he falls just as hard for her, gives her a cringy pet name, and will do anything to protect her
  • her past comes back to haunt, chase, and capture her
  • hero saves the day
  • an HEA.

Despite feeling pretty much like every other Cowles book I have read, I enjoyed it. Hallie was a sweetheart and her falling for Lawson and his three boys was sweet. The dynamics between them all were a lot of fun. It was nice getting to know Lawson better and find out more about his single father status. The entire Hartley clan showed up for support and it was great to see them again. The serial killer part of the book wasn’t surprising, but did add a fun, low level of suspense. Ashes of You was an entertaining read. 

WWW Wednesday: March 13, 2024

WWW Wednesday is hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

The past week has been pretty uneventful. We had some plans, but they were postponed when the kid and I came down with my husband’s cold. Luckily, it wasn’t anything horrible, but we used the weekend to rest and recover. It was kind of nice to be stuck at home. I got a couple of ARCs read and watched the final season of the women’s PAC-12 basketball tournament. I also caught part of the women’s SEC final between LSU and SC. Did anyone else see that crazy fight that delayed the game by 20 minutes? I’m looking forward to seeing how the NCAA tournament shakes out. Oh! And we also watched Ricky Stiniky. That was fun. Hopefully you all had a great week. Here’s what I’ve been reading:

WHAT DID YOU JUST FINISH READING?

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

The Best of All (The Best Men, #2) by Karla Sorensen is the last book I read. This was an ARC and I loved it.

I’m reading an ARC of The Unraveling by Vi Keeland. Surprisingly, this is a thriller and not a romance.

An ARC of Ali Hazelwood’s Not in Love is most likely what I will read next. I’m on a mission to keep on top of the NG ARCs that I’m approved for.

Top Ten Tuesday: Re-reads that Stood the Test of Time

Top Ten Tuesday is an original weekly feature created by The Broke and the Bookish and is now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is:

Books I’m Worried I Might Not Love as Much the Second Time Around

I started this topic and then had a hard time coming up with 10, so I flipped it and now you’re getting: 

Re-Reads that Stood the Test of Time

These are all books I re-read, loved a second time, and would re-read again. 

1. The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata

Still so good, and in the latest edition there is bonus content that adds to the fun.

Original read: 2017
Re-read: 2023

2. More Than This by Jay McLean

This book (and series) is still a great NA read that pulled at my emotions.

Original read: 2019
Re-read: 2021

3. Addicted to You by Krista & Becca Ritchie

The drama! It was just as good the second time around. 

Original read: 2016
Re-read: 2022

4. Tapping the Billionaire by Max Monroe

The laughs and swoons felt brand new when I re-read this rom-com. 

Original read: 2016
Re-read: 2019

5. Fallen Crest High by Tijan

This is my most read book and series. The over-the-top drama is so entertaining, and it grows on me more and more each time I re-read it. 

Original read: 2017
Re-reads: 2018, 2020, 2023

6. Nine Mintes by Beth Flynn

This love story/mystery/thriller/dark romance had me finding things I missed the first time around. 

Original read: 2015
Re-read: 2019

7. This is Falling by Ginger Scott

Another classic NA sports romance that works as well as it did all those years ago. 

Original read: 2015
Re-read: 2020

8. Him by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

The magic of the Bowen-Kennedy collab stays true no matter how many times I re-read Wes and Jamie’s story.

Original read: 2015
Re-read: 2019

9. The Deal by Elle Kennedy

This was just as much fun to read the second time as the first. I binged the series a second time. 

Original read: 2015
Re-read: 2019

10. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

People love or hate this book. I loved it, and I still loved it the second time around. 

Original read: 2014
Re-read: 2019

Review: Happily Never After (Lynn Painter)

Happily Never After
Author: Lynn Painter

Publication Date: March 12, 2024
Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

Their name? The objectors.
Their job? To break off weddings as hired.
Their dilemma? They might just be in love with each other.
 
When Sophie Steinbeck finds out just before her nuptials that her fiancé has cheated yet again, she desperately wants to call it off. But because her future father-in-law is her dad’s cutthroat boss, she doesn’t want to be the one to do it. Her savior comes in the form of a professional objector, whose purpose is to show up at weddings and proclaim the words no couple (usually) wants to hear at their ceremony: “I object!”
 
During anti-wedding festivities that night, Sophie learns more about Max the Objector’s job. It makes perfect sense to her: he saves people from wasting their lives, from hurting each other. He’s a modern-day hero. And Sophie wants in.
 
The two love cynics start working together, going from wedding to wedding, and Sophie’s having more fun than she’s had in ages. She looks forward to every nerve-racking ceremony saving the lovesick souls of the betrothed masses. As Sophie and Max spend more time together, however, they realize that their physical chemistry is off the charts, leading them to dabble in a little hookup session or two—but it’s totally fine, because they definitely do not have feelings for each other. Love doesn’t exist, after all.
 
And then everything changes. A groom-to-be hires Sophie to object, but his fiancée is the woman who broke Max’s heart. As Max wrestles with whether he can be a party to his ex’s getting hurt, Sophie grapples with the sudden realization that she may have fallen hard for her partner in crime.


Lynn Painter continues her streak of writing rom coms that make me laugh and swoon with Happily Never After. Her writing is so much fun! The concept of Sophie the bride hiring professional wedding objector Max to prevent her from having to get married and help save face was interesting and entertaining. I loved how the experience ended up creating a business relationship and then friendship between Sophie and Max. The friendship between them gave me Hallie and Jack vibes (The Love Wager) and I was so into that. Their adventures in stopping weddings were hilarious. I loved how it led to kind of portraying themselves the type of “friends” people are sure are more than friends. Their chemistry was off the charts, and I knew it was only a matter of time before their close friendship turned into more. They were kind of idiots when it came to love and relationships, but it only made me love them more. So, yeah. I loved this book. I can’t wait for Painter’s next book. It can’t get into my greedy hands fast enough. 

Review: If You Hate Me (Helena Hunting)

If You Hate Me
Author: Helena Hunting

Publication Date: March 7, 2024
Publisher: Ink & Cupcakes, Inc.
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ½

Synopsis:

A brand new standalone hate-to-love, brother’s best friend hockey romance.

My new roommates are two pro hockey players.
First, my manwhore older brother, and second, his seriously hot best friend (who I seriously hate).
This was a last resort.
No one should be sleeping on a futon that smells like Cheetos and ball sweat.
But here I am, trying to get my life together.

Tristan Stiles is the bane of my existence.
He never wears a shirt.
We can’t seem to stop fighting.
He’s an arrogant playboy with a filthy reputation.
Sure, I had a crush on him when I was fourteen, but that was a long time ago.
I know better than to trust him.

I just need to survive long enough to find a new job and get a new place.
And not accidentally let Tristan rail me into next week.


If you have been missing Helena Hunting’s Pucked series, you won’t want to miss reading If You Hate Me. Hunting is giving us a whole new hockey world filled with amazing characters starting with Rix and Tristan. I didn’t want to put this book down! What was so great about it? Pretty much everything.

  • Hunting brought the fun, the humor, the swoon, and the spice to ensure this romance was a very entertaining read. I even teared up a couple of times.
  • The tropes in this book were perfection.
  • The roommate situation was a great way to put Tristan and Rix in close proximity. The fact that her brother, Flip, was there making things secretive was a lot of fun.
  • Tristan’s annoyance with his best friend/teammate’s younger sister and Rix’s anger and frustration with Tristan created tension and chemistry that were palpable. The enemies to lovers trope was strong with these two.
  • Rix was easy to love. Life hadn’t been the easiest growing up for her and I thought Hunting did a fabulous job portraying the results of years of food insecurity. I always wanted the best for Rix because of how caring she was towards her friends and family.
  • Tristan was a wee bit harder to love at times, but I did end up loving his character. His womanizing past was his past and was easy to dismiss. His present on the other hand was a mess. Tristan had his own leftover childhood trauma to deal with, and he didn’t do a good job at it for a lot of this book. I did love seeing his growth, though.
  • I loved Rix and Tristan together when things were going well. Rix and Tristan’s situationship was filled with a lot of ups and a couple of downs. Their agreement to keep things casual and on a timeline went about as well as it always does in romance novels. The feelings got pretty messy. I enjoyed their romantic journey and how they both worked through the issues that came between them.
  • I’m already waiting for the side characters to get their own books. Flip was a lovable idiot who I can’t wait for to fall in love. Hollis and Roman were teammates who shined. Rix’s entire girl gang made me happy, and I want them all to find love as well. I’m super excited that Hollis’s book is next!

I only had a few of things that were a little iffy for me in this book.

  • The situationship was ultra-spicy. It’s hotter than the Pucked series. I didn’t mind that for the most part. There were a couple of situations that pushed my boundaries and made me cringe. If you can’t stand the heat, I would not recommend this book to you.
  • I’m not saying I wanted this book to be shorter, but there was a point where I thought it was about to end and then got put through another emotional upheaval. I didn’t hate that, but it did surprise me a bit.
  • Rix’s name. Or maybe I should say nicknames? Her real name is Beatrix, but she goes by Rix. Tristan calls her Bea or Beat most of the time, while everyone else calls her Rix. She felt more like a Bea to me, but that might have been Tristan’s influence. When I was writing this review, I kept wanting to write Bea instead of Rix.

Overall, If You Hate Me was a highly entertaining romance. I loved Rix and Tristan. I wish the next book in the series was already out because I can’t wait to read it!

WWW Wednesday: March 6, 2024

WWW Wednesday is hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

The first WWW Wednesday of March. I feel like this year is already flying by. This week was pretty chill. I continued reading NetGalley ARCs and watching HBO’s Ballers. This past weekend I went to the state basketball tournament final game because, while my kid’s team didn’t make it far in the tournament, they did win the academic state championship with a team GPA of 3.87 and were recognized at half time. That was really cool. Sunday was a soccer a game and it was a COLD one. My husband woke up with the sniffles Sunday morning and has tested negative for COVID so far, so hoping it stays that way and the rest of us don’t get it. My daughter is supposed to have a birthday sleepover this weekend and rescheduling it will be pain if it comes to that. I hope you are having a great week so far.

WHAT DID YOU JUST FINISH READING?

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

The last book I read was an ARC of The DM Diaries by Teagan Hunter.

I’m currently reading an ARC of The Best of All by Karla Sorensen.

I am going to take a break from ARCs and pick up Lex Martin’s new release, Heartbreaker Handoff.

Top Ten Tuesday: Things I’ve Googled Thanks to a Book

Top Ten Tuesday is an original weekly feature created by The Broke and the Bookish and is now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is:

Weird or Funny Things I’ve Googled Thanks to a Book
(Submitted by Astilbe @ Long and Short Reviews)
1. What does a hairy coo (Highland Cow) look like?
2. How do you pronunciation “insert name here”?
3. Images of Cuba
4. Has the Washington coast has ever been hit by a tropical storm or hurricane?
5. Are there are moose in Washington?
6. How long does it take to get a green card?
7. What is the Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser medical condition?
8. Wreck of the Lusitania
9. Wreck of the SS Morro Castle
10. Folly Beach history

Review: Some Kind of Perfect with Bonus Material (Krista & Becca Ritchie)

Some Kind of Perfect
Series:
 Calloway Sisters, #4.5; Addicted, #3.5
Authors: Krista & Becca Ritchie
Publication Date: March 5, 2024 (Original: May 20, 2016)
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

The TikTok sensation Addicted Series concludes with Some Kind of Perfect, now in a print edition with special bonus material!

Falling in love was just the beginning.

Lily and Lo are childhood best friends and soul mates.

Ryke and Daisy are wild risk-takers and flirty adventurers.

Connor and Rose are genius rivals and intellectual teammates.

After ten years of laughter. Of heartache. And love. They’re all back one final time.


Some Kind of Perfect was the perfect epilogue to the entire Addicted/Calloway Sisters series. It gave the reader a look at every couple from the entire series and what their lives were like the ten years after Long Way Down ends. (The authors filled in some gaps from the glimpse Ryke gave us at the end of that book.) It was fun to see the evolution and maturation of all of my favorite characters.

My favorite thing about Some Kind of Perfect was that it was a happier, less angsty book than the rest of the series. This story felt like a happily ever after, and I loved that. Don’t get me wrong, there were still many different and sometimes tough situations for the characters to go through. They just didn’t put me on edge as much. Some Kind of Perfect was an amazing finish to this wonderful series.

As for the additional bonus content in this book… There is a playlist. I don’t really have any comments on that because I didn’t know most of the songs. There were also a few fun bonus scenes in the future. One was Moffy’s first day of high school from Lily’s POV. I could relate to how tense it made Lily and her thoughts on it. It was a sweet chapter. The next bonus scene was about the Cobalts and curfews. I loved this look at Connor and Rose parenting. The final bonus chapter is the Meadows family at the lake house, and it was eventful. Ryke was still standing up for his wife and family. It was fitting to have a bonus scene for each family to end the series.

If you’re a new adult romance fan, this series is not one to miss. The writing, characters, and plots are all amazing. It’s definitely worth the time it takes to read the entire ten books. I highly suggest binge reading it. 😉 I loved it and I think you will, too!